Sweet Love of Mine
by OhtaSuzuke
Summary: Slight AU. My take on how Shinjiro realized his feelings for FeMC/Minako one night when he returns to the dorm.


My first attempt at a songfic, and fanfiction in general. A take on how Shinjiro realized his feelings for FeM/Minako. Song used here is 'Sweet Child o' Mine' by Guns n' Roses.

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona. It belongs to Atlus (like we don't know already)

Aragaki Shinjiro arrived at the dorm a bit later than usual, and found that the dorm was already dark. He opened the door and muttered a silent greeting which was not replied. Everyone seemed to have gone to bed or locked up in their own rooms. Shinjiro took off his maroon pea coat and hung it at the crook of his arm.

'_At least I won't be getting a lecture tonight,'_ he thought, sighing with relief. The last time he was late, Mitsuru gave him an earful and a dire warning that if he was ever late again she would execute him _'much worse than before'_. Shinjiro cringed inwardly. He was just about to go to his own room when he noticed the lights in the kitchen were lit. Raising a slight eyebrow, his curiosity got the better of him.

As he crept closer towards the kitchen, Shinjiro's ears caught the faint sound of the radio and the chatter of two voices talking in the background. He immediately recognized them; the Arisato twins. He hid himself behind the swinging door that was slightly ajar and peeked inside.

Minato was preparing a sandwich while his twin was stirring some steaming tea in her mug. They were conversing happily and once in a while Minako would laugh merrily at a joke her brother made every now and then.

"And then you know what that dumbass Kenji told Junpei? He said …" the rest was drowned out as Shinjiro heard another feminine hearty chuckle. Hearing her laugh like that made his heart flutter.

The radio DJ announced something which he didn't catch, and immediately Shinjiro noticed Minako's face lit up with delight, her ruby-red eyes sparkling. "She looks so pretty like that…" he whispered to himself, and felt his face go red. _'Dammit, what the hell is wrong with me?'_ he cursed himself inwardly.

Soon enough, the opening of the next song began and Minako raised the volume slightly. Minato only raised an eyebrow, but he focused on the song and his face lit up too.

"Onii-chan, remember this song? That time we caught Dad singing this on the karaoke machine with Uncle Seta in those ridiculous outfits?"

"Oh yeah, that was embarrassing. I'm so glad I wasn't in their shoes at that time," Minato said, one side of his lips arched upward in amusement at the memory.

Another giggle. "They go crazy whenever they hear American old-school rock playing."

"This used to be dad's favorite…" Minato interrupted his sister "…because it reminded him of you." He then used a free hand to ruffle Minako's hair. She pouted at him before sticking her tongue out. Then she began to hum the opening, and proceeded to lip-sync.

Despite not being in school for over two years, Shinjiro understood English just fine. He always wondered why the twins loved music so much, but seeing that this particular song had some nostalgic value he paid extra attention to the lyrics.

_She's got a smile that it seems to me_

_Reminds me of childhood memories_

_Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky_

His gaze fell on Minako, her head bobbing up and down as she followed the rhythm of the guitar with a silly smile on her face. That carefree smile reminded him of how he used to be when he was younger, with Aki and Miki, back when he wasn't miserable and suffering from the heavy guilt like he is now. He understood Akihiko's need to reminisce; it helped to escape the pain by living in the past, if only for a little short while.

_Now and then when I see her face_

_She takes me away to that special place_

_And if I stare too long_

_I'd probably break down and cry_

Now and then when he would catch a glimpse of her at the dorm, his heart felt lighter. Sure, she was a handful to deal with whenever her brother wasn't around to help; she was bossy and demanding, and Shinjiro was the favorite target for her to pester. But she was also very kind, always greeting everyone with a warm smile. The longer he stared at her, the more he wanted to be far away than to regret doing something stupid, yet at the same time he wanted to be closer to her than anyone else. He felt torn.

_She's got eyes of the bluest skies_

_And if they thought of rain_

_I'd hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain_

Of course her eyes weren't blue (even if Minato's is). Her eyes were ruby-red, the color of sun-ripe pomegranates. She would look up to him and meet his gaze straight on whenever she wants to ask him a question, or reply any of his snide remarks, never once backing down. The way they shine with determination before summoning her Persona to fight Shadows, to him it was a beautiful sight. Shinjiro could never associate her with pain and sadness as much as he tried. She looked her very best when smiling after all.

_Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place_

_Where as a child I'd hide_

_And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by_

The first time he laid eyes on her at the hospital, what caught his attention at first was the color of her hair; a shiny chestnut brown, tied in a messy ponytail. The XXII hairpins only enhanced her cuteness. Now he had a sudden urge to run his fingers through her hair, and play with that soft ponytail that was swinging back and forth with every beat of the music.

During the typhoon, both twins caught the flu. Everybody was busy reinforcing the dorm, so that only left Shinjiro to take care of them by himself while the rest were occupied (Aigis was needed for the heavy lifting, so she couldn't help). After that was done, the residents of the dorm went to bed early. Only Shinjiro was awake, sitting in the lounge by himself like always. He was enjoying the quiet when he heard footsteps.

It was Minako. She was wearing pajamas with cherry prints on them, and her hair was let down for once. Her expression was a bit dazed; the effect of the flu medicine hadn't worn off yet. As she was dragging her feet down the stairs, she tripped and would have landed on her face and broke her nose if Shinjiro hadn't caught her.

Shinjiro was very much aware of their awkward embrace. It wasn't like he wanted to take advantage of the situation, but without thinking he lowered his head and pressed his nose against her hair, and inhaled deeply. _'Good God, she smells so good,'_ he thought. It was a cross between strawberry, honey and sunflowers; a scent he was not likely to forget any time soon.

The effect of that particular action was immediate; the rumbling pains in his head caused by Castor stopped. His Persona let out a contented noise and fell silent. He didn't have much time to think about it when Minato came down, probably for a glass of water. Shinjiro immediately let Minako go, his hands supporting her shoulders and he distanced himself from her. He knew how overprotective Minato was of his sister, and seeing them in their compromising position would only cause him grief later. She just blinked at him dumbly. With great reluctance, Shinjiro walked away and went to bed.

Even until now, whenever he thought about Minako's scent during their battles in Tartarus, Castor's violent tendencies were greatly reduced. He didn't need to depend on the drugs as much as he thought. It was a miracle that Shinjiro find difficult to comprehend. _'What does it all mean?'_ he asked himself, his heart beating faster.

_Oh oh oh oh, sweet love of mine…_

'_Hah, I'm such a dumbass aren't I?'_ he sighed inwardly. It was that warm, fluttery feeling again, but now Shinjiro finally understood what it was. _'I'm in love with her…I'm in love with Arisato Minako.'_ He quietly withdrew from his position and headed to his room, his face a dark shade of red while his brain was still processing the epiphany he had a little while ago.

Back in the kitchen, Arisato Minato smirked. He was aware of Shinjiro's presence for some time now when he switched his Persona to Daisoujou on a whim. Based on his previous observations, he had a pretty good idea of who his senior was staring at the entire time. _'And he just realized now? What an idiot…'_ The blue haired teen turned his attention to his twin and smiled when she began to play air guitar at the closing of the song.

So, what do you think? R&R please ^^


End file.
